Pulsatilla decoction is a famous traditional Chinese herbal formula for clearing heat and treating dysentery of animals or human. To elucidate its mechanism, many active components have been studied, however, the roles of its polysaccharides still remain unclear. This study aimed to explore effects of polysaccharides from Pulsatilla decoction (PPD) on the microvascular endothelial glycocalyx (eGC). The polysaccharides were extracted from PPD by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. Mice were administered with PPD for 4 wk, and were then anesthetized with ether inhalation and were fixed by cardiac perfusion with gradient concentration alcian blue solution. The jejunum was sampled and jejunal mucosa was prepared for ultrathin sections by routine method and was analyzed by transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that the eGC was observed as a strong electron-dense smooth linear margin or nonuniform conglomerates coating cell membranes, and PPD significantly increased its thickness from (21.85±1.87) to (28.71±3.61) nm and improved its integrity. This study suggested that PPD may express their biological activities and protect against pathogenic factor damages by influencing the eGC.

We studied the effect of baicalin, an extract from Radix Scutellariae (a traditional Chinese medicine) in inducing mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (MPMVECs) to produce interferons (IFNs). MPMVECs were cultured in vitro in the presence of different concentrations of baicalin (10, 20, and 30 μg mL-1), and the cells and the culture media were harvested at various time intervals. The proteins and mRNA levels (relative to β-actin) of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ were analyzed by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was observed that baicalin substantially up-regulated the expression of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ. In all baicalin-treated groups, the relative levels of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ mRNAs peaked after 12 h of culturing, and IFN-α/β and IFN-γ proteins peaked after 24 h of culturing. These results suggest that baicalin can effectively induce the expression of IFNs in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, and thus potentially act as an antiviral compound. This study may provide background information for developing new antiviral drugs based on baicalin.